Team Roping formats are pretty easy team roper, doesn't mean you really know format over and over to veteran ropers. Formats should not be overlooked!

Picking the right format that suits your, technical equipment, arena, cattle and region is very important. New formats are springing up as we speak, but the old trusties are never going to die. Match roping, is an old format, springing to life Roping died off for several regional reasons. I was a certified Match Pro, helping to promote SMR, watching it die in my area was sad. The format was really great, but the ropers in this area are on average a #4 and below. These lower number ropers have trouble finding partners, so the match roping format was not very appealing to them. If a draw pot or round robin match was available, I think it would have been more appealing to the lower number ropers.

Make sure you do your homework, really pay close attention to the ropers you are going to attract, their numbers will dictate everything, from formats to the cattle you use.

I personally love to cater to the lower number guys. I like to offer a good pick partner to the handful of higher numbers in the area too, but the money is in the lower numbers in this area.

Draw Pots are great for low number ropers. Pick and draws are great too. Pick partners will work if you have a large group of ropers that are friends. If your roping is a pick partner and everyone that shows up is low numbered and do not know each other, well its going to be a disaster. Draw pots are great but they are better if you have the equipment and software to run them. Back in the day, before on a small piece of paper and in a bucket. One would be a heeler bucket and one a header bucket. They would draw one from each and match them up. This can still be done today but it is time consuming and confusing for the ropers and secretaries, I know first hand because we have had to use this method several times when our computers crashed. Once you've used a good roping software and ran a successful draw pot you'll be hooked.

The draw back to using a draw pot format is what is entered is entered. Meaning there is no more money to be made once the books are closed. Pick partners make more money, the books remain open until the first round ends and this means as the round's end nears, ropers will generally enter up more if they didn't get as many down as they wanted. I call it the ropers frenzy! Great for the producer, but hard on the addict roper!

Pick n Draw ~ pick 1 draw 2 for $60.00means = you get to pick one partner and 2 others will be drawn for $60.00

Pick Partner ~ $20.00 a manmeans = every partner you pick cost you $20.00, meaning every team you create will cost $40.00 at the office.

Sometimes you hear the format 3 for $20.00, means = 3 head of cattle for $20.00 NOT 3 partners! 3 head of cattle refer to a 3 header.

Round Robin ~ $50.00 a manmeans = exactly that you pay $50.00 to get in and rope with everyone. The amount of runs you will get will be determined by the amount of ropers that enter.Round Robin Producers, sometimes say $10.00 to the lowestmeans = you pay $10.00 for every roper entered on the lowest side, if there is 8 heelers and 6 headers you pay $60.00

My favorite by far,Draw n Pick ~ Draw 3 for $60.00, pick all you want for $20.00 a man. You must enter the draw one time to pick partnersyou can enter the draw as many times as you like.This is my favorite as a producer, because it gives you the best of both worlds. Your new low number ropers have their draw pot and buddies get to partner up, and you get your "roper's frenzy"

If you use this format, its best to advertise it as a Draw n pick, meaning you draw first then you can pick! It helps a little with the confusion.

Pick Partner roping's are easy and simple! They can be run without a your new to producing a team roping.

a computer is on index cards. In my travels helping other producers, even some real With that said, you can see it must be the best way to do it.

If you have more than one roping that day, like a #9 and a #11 both pick partners, you color index cards. Say white for the #9 and Yellow for the #11. My secretaries sell the cards to the ropers. Each card is for a team and for example is $40.00. Keeping a tab for your ropers will be a nightmare, so try your best to sell the cards in advance. To discourage dishonesty, we stamp our cards so they can not be duplicated. Have your ropers write the header's name and rank and heeler's name and rank on the index card. Put them in a collection tray fro the right roping. We don't close our books until the end of the first round, so a secretary needs to stay in the office through out the roping taking entries. I usually start the roping on time this way. As entries come in you just keep adding to your pile! EASY!!

have to explain the ropers rating system. If your a wife, family member or fan of roping or just someone who would like to put on a team roping and don't understand the numbering system, well its is the USTRC and Coors. We have always used the USTRC here at the Horseshoe Arena, so we will use that as our examples. Ropers should be number and hold a card, if not it is your responsibility as roping.

what they think he should be rated, I also always say "I have the right to pull you in the roping if I think you are under numbered". This is usually the norm and ropers have no problems with it. Every once in a while you will have a good roper try to get in a low numbered roping, so keep a watchful eye on them.

Basically in a nut shell, if you are having a #10 pick n draw roping with no cap then any team can enter not rating over a #10means = #5 and #5 can rope, #6 and #4 can rope, #3 and #3 can rope and so on..... A number #5 and #6 can NOT ROPE

A cap means you are putting a limit on the individual ratingA #9 Roping with a #5 capmeans = a #5 and #4 can rope, a #4 and #4 can rope but a #6 and #3 can NOT ROPE, #6 is over the #5 cap